FOUR YEARS AGO
“My daughter has finally remembered that she still has a father. How wonderful. I’ve missed you, Ellen.”
“Do you really? Because I’m sure you very much engineered this call.”
“What is that supposed to mean? Is that how you greet your father now?”
“When my father decides to take the husband I’ve had to wait for all of thirty two years away from me on my HONEYMOON, this is the greeting he gets to receive.”
“Listen to me. You married a pastor. This is the life you signed up for. Did you think you were marrying into an easy life? I missed your birth because the Lord sent me on assignment to-”
“To a war-torn area to minister healing to wounded soldiers. You’ve beaten that story to death, father. It no longer has your intended effect of making me feel guilty; it just bores me now. Number two: I lived my entire life as a pastor’s child. Of course I know how this works! But we were on our honeymoon; you cannot tell me that you could not find anyone else. I’ve seen you order for whole itineraries to be rearranged just so you can reassign some son of yours who you’d just reassigned two seconds before!
“Let’s also keep in mind that Wilson has literally never preached before. You’ve had him locked up behind the scenes as a prayer warrior for years and never let him see the pulpit. And the one time that you do, it is at a church that’s crumbling?”
“So you think that I’m setting up my own son-in-law to fail? Is that really what you think of me?”
“Would you like a reminder of your greatest hits with your son Lewis? How you’ve literally put him in multiple sink-or-swim situations? The time when you called him on stage to sing when you knew he had lost his voice? The other time when-”
“Enough, Ellen! I will not have you disrespect me any further. Regardless what you may think of me, everything I have ever done has been for you and your siblings. I have only ever wanted you all to thrive and be in the best positions to succeed. Which is exactly what I am doing for your husband, and its only because he married you! How do you not see that I’m trying to establish him? Have you forgotten how the rest view him?”
“Why would I care about that, father? I’m the one who married him, not them.”
“You’re the one who married him, but he married into a ministry. Have you considered what that means for him? He may have been part of it before he became your husband, but he was just one of many guys before. Now he is my son-in-law, closer to me than all the other guys he was with. You think they don’t look at you as his ticket to the top? I’m trying to let him shine so they can all see what I see. Why would you think anything else? Or is it that you don’t have confidence in him to deliver?”
“Father, I still-”
“Ellen, hear me. The sooner you accept that I actually love all my children, the better it would be for us. You’re married now; you will soon understand when you start having children. Meanwhile, I’m going to leave you before you disrespect me to anger. Think about what I’ve just told you and call me when you’re sober. I love you.”
***
PRESENT DAY
Wilson was in the middle of bible study, although his mind was really elsewhere. He and Ellen were on their way to midweek service when he was summoned to his father-in-law’s house, and he still had yet to see the man. So, he’d spent the waiting time trying to study for service on Friday in Ellen’s room, in the event he was able to make it there at all. He’d accepted the reality that he was very likely going to be pushed out of his church, and it could very well be today.
He finally managed to refocus on the scripture and started to take notes when a tray of coffee and cookies landed on the table in front of him. He looked up with a questioning face at Ellen, who’d brought them to him.
“I’m hungry. Figured you might be as well.”
He went back to his scripture as he responded, “Thanks, but I’m not.”
“Come on Wilson, share a cookie with your wife, will you? The text can wait for now.”
Without looking up, Wilson answered, “The preparation for service takes precedence over everything else. Always has, always will. You know this.”
Ellen’s face fell in disappointment. She took a cookie and sat by herself and muttered to herself, “Don’t I know it.”
Silence followed for a little while as a distracted Ellen slowly bit on the cookie but didn’t really eat much of it.
“We promised each other that we’d go through this together just like everything else. But it feels like you’d rather be alone in this, and I’m stuck on the outside not knowing how to be there for you. You can’t keep shutting me out, Wilson. Believe it or not, everything that happens to you happens to me too. Let me in, Wilson.”
More silence followed. Wilson tried to continue his studying, but his attention was further taken away until he didn’t even care about the study anymore. It took a few more minutes but he closed the bible and took a cookie.
***
FOUR YEARS AGO
Wilson was being driven to the church in Oklahoma when he got a text from his wife. He checked it and then made a call.
“Good morning, papa.…Yes sir, I’m on my way there right now.…I won’t let you down sir.…A request, sir?…I’m sorry, did you say the whole week?…You want me to preach for all three weekly services?…No sir, it won’t be a problem. I’ll do my best by the grace of God.…Alright. God bless you too, papa. Bye.”
He stared at the phone in shock and awe for a few minutes after the completely unexpected news he’d just received. One minute, he was just a guy who no one outside of the prayer circle at headquarters knew. The next minute, he was preaching all three weekly services at a church.
It would have felt like a great blessing if it didn’t make him want to hide in a cave. So much pressure all at once, and on his honeymoon no less! It didn’t make sense, but he wasn’t about to question the opportunity.
He gathered himself and was about to send a text when Ellen called.
“Hi babe.”
“Hello baby. We’re on the way to the church now.”
“Great. I just wanted to wish you all the best. I know you’ve got this and by the grace of God, you’re more than able.”
“Thank you, baby. I am definitely going to need that grace because your father just told me that I’m doing all three weekly services.”
“Wednesday, Friday and Sunday?”
“Yup. All three.”
“Well, that’s a lot of confidence he’s placing in you. He must’ve seen something.”
“Its your father, babe. He always knows more than he lets on.”
“That he does. I wish I’d come with you now. A week is too long to be away from you.”
“Its fine, babe. I’m not exactly happy about it, but this is also my first time preaching. It’s a weird feeling altogether.”
“Yeah. I may not be there with you in the physical, but I am with you in spirit. Forever us against the world, my husband.”
“You and I together, baby.”
“I can’t wait till you get back so we can resume where we left off.”
“Me too, baby.”
“Alright. Call me after?”
“Call you after. Love you.”
“Love you.”
Awwwww, some sweet moments between the McQueens (rhymed nicely, didn’t it?). We’re already at the end of this first season (way too soon, I know), so let’s wrap it up…
